

Pennsylvania vs Tennessee
Pennsylvania comes out ahead of Tennessee on 435 of 785 statistics where one end is better, to 330 with 20 ties. Pennsylvania leads on Facts & Trivia, Sports and Tech & Business and 6 more categories. Tennessee leads on Agriculture, Politics & Government and Travel and 2 more categories.
785 statistics with a better end, compared
Each counts once for the place that ranks better; 20 ties. Totals that mostly track population are left out.
- Wins
- 435
- Avg. percentile
- 51
- Categories led
- 9
- Wins
- 330
- Avg. percentile
- 46
- Categories led
- 5
At a glance
Headline statistics, each ranked among all US states.
| Statistic | Pennsylvania | Tennessee |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 13,073,016 5th of 51 | 7,378,861 15th of 51 |
| Median Household IncomeHousing, Income and Commutes by State (Census) | $77,971 24th of 51 | $69,595 42nd of 51 |
| Unemployment Rate (%)Unemployment Rate by State (BLS) | 4.3% tied 33rd of 51 | 3.5% tied 15th of 51 |
| Poverty Rate (%)Housing, Income and Commutes by State (Census) | 11.7% 25th of 51 | 13.8% 39th of 51 |
| Price Level (All Items)Cost of Living by State (Regional Price Parities) | 97.6 28th of 51 | 91.9 14th of 51 |
| Real Personal Income per Person (2017 Dollars)Real Personal Income by State | $58,620 24th of 51 | $58,582 25th of 51 |
| Average Annual Wage, All JobsAverage Wage by State (BLS) | $65,730 25th of 51 | $60,800 40th of 51 |
| Median Rent (Monthly, Capped at $3,501)Housing, Income and Commutes by State (Census) | $1,209 24th of 51 | $1,189 23rd of 51 |
| Violent Crime Rate (per 100K)Crime Rates by State (FBI) | 226.8 14th of 51 | 492.3 46th of 51 |
| Heating Degree Days per YearClimate by State (1991–2020 Averages) | 5,700 28th of 48 | 3,753 14th of 48 |
By category
Average percentile on each category's widely ranked statistics.
- AgricultureTennessee · 15 statistics
- Facts & TriviaPennsylvania · 18 statistics
- SportsPennsylvania · 17 statistics
- Tech & BusinessPennsylvania · 47 statistics
- EducationPennsylvania · 51 statistics
- LawPennsylvania · 69 statistics
- CulturePennsylvania · 78 statistics
- PopulationPennsylvania · 114 statistics
- HealthPennsylvania · 175 statistics
- EnvironmentPennsylvania · 40 statistics
- Politics & GovernmentTennessee · 120 statistics
- TravelTennessee · 29 statistics
- GeographyTennessee · 25 statistics
- Crime & SafetyTennessee · 75 statistics
- Infrastructure & EnergyEven · 36 statistics
- EconomicsEven · 291 statistics
Biggest differences
The 30 statistics where their rankings differ most, among rankings of at least 26 US states.
| Statistic | Pennsylvania | Tennessee |
|---|---|---|
| Livability RankDisability Benefits by State | 1st 1st of 51 | 47th 47th of 51 |
| Quality of LifeWorst States to Retire | 48th 3rd best of 50 | 3rd 3rd worst of 50 |
| Weekly PayIUOE Pay Scale by State | $859 45th of 50 | $1,123 tied 1st of 50 |
| Bad Driving IndexWorst Drivers by State | 13.04 1st of 49 | 83.33 tied 43rd of 49 |
| Annual SalaryIUOE Pay Scale by State | $44,692 45th of 50 | $58,416 2nd of 50 |
| Hourly WageIUOE Pay Scale by State | $21.49 45th of 50 | $28.08 2nd of 50 |
| Monthly PayIUOE Pay Scale by State | $3,724 45th of 50 | $4,868 2nd of 50 |
| Insured DriversWorst Drivers by State | 94.0 6th of 50 | 76.3 48th of 50 |
| Avg Annual WageClinical Psychologist Salary by State | $73,700 47th of 49 | $118,970 6th of 49 |
| Avg Hourly WageClinical Psychologist Salary by State | 35.43 47th of 49 | 57.2 6th of 49 |
| AnnualBCBA Salary by State | $61,973 43rd of 49 | $79,464 2nd of 49 |
| HourlyBCBA Salary by State | $29.80 43rd of 49 | $38.20 2nd of 49 |
| MonthlyBCBA Salary by State | $5,164 43rd of 49 | $6,622 2nd of 49 |
| WeeklyBCBA Salary by State | $1,191 43rd of 49 | $1,528 2nd of 49 |
| Food and Health Support RankBest States to Be Homeless | 6th 6th of 50 | 46th 46th of 50 |
| SSI Civil Service Management ScoreMost Corrupt States | 54 44th of 50 | 69.9 4th of 50 |
| % of Prisoners in Private PrisonPrivate Prisons by State | 0.8% 4th of 27 | 26.3% 25th of 27 |
| Social and Civic Racial Progress RankLeast Racist States | 8th 8th of 51 | 48th 48th of 51 |
| Overall Homelessness Help ScoreBest States to Be Homeless | 53.82 11th of 50 | 28.72 50th of 50 |
| LPC Application FeeLPC Requirements by State | $45.00 2nd of 49 | $200 tied 38th of 49 |
| Maternal Mortality Rate (2018-2022)Maternal Mortality Rate by State | 17.5 per 100k Births 9th of 39 | 41.1 per 100k Births 39th of 39 |
| Maternal Mortality Total Deaths (2019-2023)Maternal Mortality Rate by State | 17.7 9th of 39 | 42.1 39th of 39 |
| Total Weighted ScoreBest States to Own a Business | 30 tied 3rd of 50 | 21 tied 39th of 50 |
| Weighted ScoreEntrepreneur-Friendly States | 30 tied 3rd of 50 | 21 tied 39th of 50 |
| Maximum Annual SalaryIBEW Pay Scale by State | $141,940 3rd of 51 | $72,760 42nd of 51 |
| Infrastructure RankFarming-Friendly States | 50th 50th of 50 | 12th 12th of 50 |
| Score (out of 100)Best States to Own a Business | 94 4th of 49 | 20 40th of 49 |
| Total ScoreEntrepreneur-Friendly States | 94 4th of 49 | 20 40th of 49 |
| Teacher's Union Rank (1=Strongest)States with Teacher Unions | 4th 4th of 51 | 41st 41st of 51 |
| RankEntrepreneur-Friendly States | 4th 4th of 50 | 40th 40th of 50 |
Quick answers
- Which is better, Pennsylvania or Tennessee?
- Pennsylvania comes out ahead of Tennessee on 435 of 785 statistics where one end is better, to 330 with 20 ties. Pennsylvania leads on Facts & Trivia, Sports and Tech & Business and 6 more categories. Tennessee leads on Agriculture, Politics & Government and Travel and 2 more categories. Statistics where neither end is better, and totals that mostly track population, are not counted.
- Which has more people, Pennsylvania or Tennessee?
- Pennsylvania has a population of 13,073,016 (5th of 51 US states) and Tennessee has 7,378,861 (15th of 51).
- How do Pennsylvania and Tennessee compare on Median Household Income?
- Median Household Income: Pennsylvania $77,971 (24th of 51), Tennessee $69,595 (42nd of 51) among US states. Pennsylvania ranks better.
- How do Pennsylvania and Tennessee compare on Unemployment Rate (%)?
- Unemployment Rate (%): Pennsylvania 4.3% (tied 33rd of 51), Tennessee 3.5% (tied 15th of 51) among US states. Tennessee ranks better.
- Where does Pennsylvania beat Tennessee most clearly?
- Pennsylvania ranks far ahead on Livability Rank (Disability Benefits by State): 1st vs 47th; Quality of Life (Worst States to Retire): 48th vs 3rd; Bad Driving Index (Worst Drivers by State): 13.04 vs 83.33.
- Where does Tennessee beat Pennsylvania most clearly?
- Tennessee ranks far ahead on Weekly Pay (IUOE Pay Scale by State): $1,123 vs $859; Annual Salary (IUOE Pay Scale by State): $58,416 vs $44,692; Hourly Wage (IUOE Pay Scale by State): $28.08 vs $21.49.
More matchups
Other comparisons with Pennsylvania or Tennessee.
- Alabama vs Pennsylvania
- Alaska vs Pennsylvania
- Arizona vs Pennsylvania
- Arkansas vs Pennsylvania
- California vs Pennsylvania
- Colorado vs Pennsylvania
- Connecticut vs Pennsylvania
- Delaware vs Pennsylvania
- Alabama vs Tennessee
- Alaska vs Tennessee
- Arizona vs Tennessee
- Arkansas vs Tennessee
- California vs Tennessee
- Colorado vs Tennessee
- Connecticut vs Tennessee
- Delaware vs Tennessee